Electric switch



June 14, 1960 Filed March 24, 1958 A. w. GRASHOFF 2,941,047

ELECTRIC SWITCH 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 3 IN VEN TOR.

ADOLPH WGRAsHoFF BY WDJMM/ AGENT June 14, 1960 A. w. GRASHOFF ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed March 24,. 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. ADOLPH W. GRAsHoFF AGENT June 14, 1960 A. w. GRASHOFF 2,941,047

ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed March 24, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. ADOLPH WGRASHOFF WfilrMJ/I/ AGENT United States PatentO ELECTRIC SWITCH Adolph W. Grashoif, Logansport, Ind., asslgnor to Essex Wire Corporation, Fort Wayne, Ind.

Filed Mar. 24, 1958, Ser. No. 723,377

' Claim. (Cl. 200-4) This invention relates to electric switches and has more particular reference, but without restriction .thereto fto electric switches of the type that are. especially suited for use in automotive directional signal systems of the character disclosed in US. Patent No. 2,659,838, granted on November 17, 1953, to G. A. DuRocher. I

One of the objects of this invention is to provide an improved switch which has relatively few parts and may Patented June 14, 1960 2 provide spaced pivot surfaces 42. The yoke 34 is prefer ably formed with reinforcing ribs 44 at the junction of the arms and the base. The base 38 of the yoke has a screw-engaging aperture 46 and is secured to the housing by a screw 48 which extends through the housing 10 and a metal supporting strap 50 having two apertures 52 spaced to. receive bosses 28.

,7 reduced width which are disposed between lugs 66 extend? ing from the actuator webs 56. The lugs 66 are bent over be economically manufactured and assembled. Another W object is to provide a switch embodying an improved simplified manner of mounting the parts thereof "to facilitate its assembly. Another object isv to provide-a momentary type switch in which the manual operator may I be eitherdepressed or pivoted to control more than one electric'cir'cuit. u u 1 Further objects, features, and advantages of thisinven tion will be. apparent from a consideration of the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which: r Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a switch constructed in accordance with this invention.

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the switch. Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the switch.

line 4-4'in Fig. 1. a

Fig. 5 is a plan View of the contact spring as seen from the top of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the guide plate assembled upon the insulator as seen from the bottom, of Fig. 2.

Fig. 7 is a plan view of the interior of the; switch housing.

Fig. 8 is a plan' view as'seen ffom the'bottom'ofFig. 2 showing certain operating parts of the switch before assembly in the .switch housing.

Fig. 9 is a front elevational view with portions cut away of a modified form of switch construction.

Referring now to Figs. 1-8 of the drawing, a switch is illustrated as comprising a generally rectangular housing 10 of insulating material, such as a molded thermosetting resin or other plastic material, having a relatively large rectangular chamber 12 open at the top and with two parallel end walls each having a rectangular opening 14 extending to the upper edges of the housing. Contacts 16 and 18 are centrally located upon bosses 20 arranged on the bottom of the chamber -12 at each end. These contacts 16 and 18 are merely rivet heads, constituting a part of rivets 22 and 24, respectively, which extend through housing 10. The outer ends of these rivets 22 and 24 are staked over against terminals 26 to hold the terminals in place upon the rectangular bosses 28 arranged on the bottom of the housing 10. Each of the side walls of the chamber 12 has an inner recess 30 located centrally between the end walls. Integral ribs 32 are formed on the side walls on both sides of the recesses 30 to position a U-shaped yoke 34. The yoke 34 is made frorna strip of conductive sheet metal and comprises a base 36 and two arms 38 each having an aperture 40 to V 18, respectively.

. pp p n of 1 Sp in against the insulator 62 to secure it in place.

- Projecting from the insulator 62 is an integral stud 68 which passes through a central opening 70 in a guide plate 72formed of conductive sheet metal. The guide plate 72 issecured to the insulator 62 by the bent over ends of four tabs 74 depending from the side edges of the plate 72 and lying within recesses 76 of the insulator 62. The guide plate 72 also includes two outwardly extending 7 arms 78 by which it is pivotably supported on the pivot surfaces 42 of the aperture of the yoke arms 38. Seatedupon the guideplate 72 is a contact spring 80 formed with spaced end portions 82 and 84 for engagev ment with and disengagement from the contacts 16 and Contact spring 80 preferably. formed from a thin strip of spring metal such as a copper-tin alloy also has a centrally disposed aperture 86 for loosely receiving the insulator stud 68. Integral spaced fingers 88 formed along the side edges of the contact spring 89 extend-on opposite sides of the guide plate arms 78 to Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken substantiallyonJt-hcr' 1' position the contact spring 80. The contact spring 80 may be welded or attached to the guide plate 72 in other known manners but for simplicity in construction and assembly is preferably merely held in position by the insulator stud 68. The lowervportion of the coil spring 90 is located upon thebase- 36 of the yoke 34 and urges ha lfid P a into engagement w th thap t surfaces 42 of the yoke 34.

The assembly of the switch described is facilitated by the several features of the invention. In assembly, the rivets 22 and 24 and their respective terminals 26 are first attached to the housing 10. The guide plate 72 is secured to the insulator 62 by bending over the tabs 74 after which the insulator 62 is inserted in place upon the actuator 54 and the lugs 66 are bent over against the insulator 62. After the contact spring is positioned upon the guide plate 72, coil spring is inserted in position. Then the yoke 34 is placed over the spring which is slightly compressed until the guide plate arms 78 are received in the yoke apertures 40. The compression of the spring 90 will retain the parts of the switch in assembled position as shown in Figure 8. This assembly may then be inserted into the housing chamber 12 and the supporting strap 50- laid over the bosses 28, after which screw.48 is inserted in position and tightened.

It will be apparent from the above that the switch described is a momentary type switch in which operation of the actuator 54 from its released position shown in Figure 4 will complete a circuit from the supporting strap 50 to either or both of the rivets 22 and 24 and their respective terminals 26. Upon pressing the right hand portion of the actuator 50, the guide plate arms 78 will pivot upon the pivot surfaces 42 until the actuator 54 engages the end wall of the housing 10 at the bottom 90 which fits over the of the right hand opening 14. The end portion 82 of contact spring 80 engages the fixed contact 16 to complete a circuit from the supporting strap 50 through screw 48, yoke -34, guide plate 72, contact spring 180, end portion antenna 16', rivet 22, and its respective terminal 26. A similar action takes place when the left hand portion of the actuator 54 is pressed to earn; plete a circuit from the supporting strap 50 to rivet 24 and its respective terminal 26. Upon pressing down the middle portion of the actuator 50 until it engages both end walls of the housing, both end portions 82 and 84 of contact spring 80 will engage their respective contacts 16 and 18 to complete a circuit connecting the rivets 22 and 24 and their respective terminals 26 together. Upon release of the actuator '54 from. any depressed position, the coil spring 90 'will immediately return the actuator 54 and contact spring 80 'to their released positions shown in Figure '4.

p A modification of "the Switch is shown in Figure 9 where two coil springs ream employed instead of the single spring 90: described above which ma be omitted. The coil springs 100 are disposed between the ends of the actuator 54A and the supporting strap 50A. The upper ends of the springs 100 are located by bosses 102 located in cavities 58A of the actuator 54A and the lower ends of the springs 100 'fit over ears 104struck out from the-supporting strap 50A and berit at right angles. The springs-100 are of equal strength "and thus normally hold the actuator 54A in its --re leased position show-n "in Fig ure 9. -When, however, the actuator 54?; is depressed on one side or the other, the compression of one span- 100 is increased while that ofthe other is decreased. When'the'rniddleportion of the actuator 54A is depressed, both springs 100 are compressed. When the actuator 54}; is released, the springs 100-ret1irn it to the released posinan-shown 'in Figure 9. Exceptth'at the 'con'tactf'spiing 80A inust be secured against the guide plate"7 2A 'b'y 'i'velding or other such known means if "spring 90 i not employed, the modified switch is otherwise substantially identical to that shown in Figures 1-8 and a detailed description thereof will not be'repeated.

In each of the embodiments of this'invention which has been described, there is provided a momentary typeof switch suitable for controlling a plurality of direction indicating signal circuits which is of relatively simple and economical construction and readily adapted to beeconomically assembled. The main operating parts of the "switches may be pie-assembled to a com ass 4 easily handled assembly which can be firmly attached to the switch housing by merely inserting and tightening a single screw. The same screw may be employed to simultaneously attach a supporting bracket.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in its preferred embodiments and has included certain details, it should be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the precise details herein illustrated and described since the same may be carried out in other ways falling within the scope of the invention as claimed;

What is claimed is:

An electric switch comprising a housing having two spaced stationary contacts, a substantially U-shaped yoke formed of conductive sheet metal and having a base secured to the housing intermediate said stationary contacts, said yoke having a pair of parallel arms disposed in planes substantially parallel to the line joining said stationary contacts, said arms being provided "with "elongated aligned apertures, a guide plate of conductive material having a pair of projecting tongues extending into the apertures provided in said arms, spring means yieldably urging said guide plate away from said base, an actuator supported by said guide plate and guided by said tongues and said apertured arms for either reciprocal or pivotal movement relative to said yoke, a movable contact of conductive material supported in conductive engagement with said guide plate for conjoint movement therewith, said movable contact having yieldable leg portions overlying and normally separated from said stationary contacts, said movable contact being adapted when said actuator is pivoted from its normal position to selectively engage either one of said stationary contacts thereby completing a circuit between said one. stationary contact and said yoke, and said movable contact being adapted when said actuator is reciprocate'd from its normal position to engage both ofs'aid s'tationay contacts. a

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Fairbanks Aug. 25, 192s Tartaglia Nov. 3, 1 9-31 Pelz Dec. 11, '1956 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Feb.27,1936

960,475 France Oct. 24, 1949 France Mar. 18, 1 948 

